Floating Solar - perhaps a solution for Cyprus Dams...

[cyprusmax47]

Just found an interesting article in the press about China's latest commitment for Green Energies at the summit last week in Paris.(where America will pull out..!)
They recently installed the world’s biggest floating solar power plant with a capacity of 40 MWp. enough electricity for 15.000 homes there.
China is now the biggest producer of PV power with 77 Gigawatt installed, (77.000 MWp!!) second is Germany.
To use the area of lakes or dams is very interesting for several reasons. The evaporation of water will be reduced as well as water temperature and algae growing. As the temperature above the water is much cooler than on ground the PV modules will produce much more energy in Summer as above 25 C photovoltaic modules produce much less power. Mounted on ground modules can get 70 C hot in full sunshine.
In Cyprus we have obviously only a few dams which keep a fair amount of water all year long but it would be still enough for some smaller installations.
EAC is planning to install 20 MWp traditional on ground in one of our hottest areas....

Max
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/ ... solar-farm

[Jimgward]

It does sound an ideal solution for Cyprus.

I have also looked at a large flower-shaped solar system. It tracks the sun, cools the units and folds away at night and in any wind over 40mph.

it is called 'smartflower' and the website has the same name....

[PhotoLady]

Interesting Jim - but I feel it's a bit too unattractive.
Maybe if it was stuck somewhere at the back of a very large field, I could perhaps live with it - but certainly NIMBY

It's a clever idea though!

[Jimgward]

I thought the same.... a bit too large. If it was maybe 2.5 m across and you needed maybe 4 of them, then they would fit the average roof.... If you put one of these babies on a Cypriot villa roof, you'd be the most visible object in the neighbourhood...

[cyprusmax47]

Photovoltaic installations are supposed to be a reliable and relatively cheap source of electricity for many years to come. Quality components are important. But this innovation, made in Austria is not only very expensive (from 14.000 Euro for 2.3 kWp) but is designed with many components which can fail. A fixed installation is much more reliable (no moving parts). Also the consumption to move the construction tracking the Sun is costing more than 150 kw/y. Cleaning the modules every day does more damage to them than without. (specially with sand in the air) Any scratches on the surface of the modules is not positive. About the design: Everybody has got a different taste but if one wants to show off...
When it comes to installation of the "flower" you need a proper concrete foundation (>2 tons) to withstand wind of 39 mph with 18 m2 area. And if wind comes like many times in Cyprus all of a sudden than folding away will be too late. I remember having problems with MY trackers end of the 90th, when Wind suddenly appeared...

By the way it is quite off topic as my thoughts were more towards our dams and the evaporation of water beside other advantages..
Max